News
on Ports
Port
connectivity gets under way. The National Highways Authority
of India (NHAI) has initiated action on its plan of connecting
the country's 11 major ports with National Highways. Already,
the construction projects have been awarded for Jawaharlal Nehru
Port Trust (JNPT) at Nhava Sheva, Haldia, Mormugao and Kandla
ports.. The JNPT port connectivity project, a joint venture between
Thakur-Mahatre-Unity for the first section of the project connecting
JNPT with NH4 and NH 4B totaling 29 km is being taken up at an
estimated cost of Rs 140 crore. The highway project connecting
Haldia port from Kolaghat on NH6 to Haldia on NH41 totalling 55
km would result similarly in a joint venture between CWHEC (China)
and HCIL at an estimated cost of Rs 220 crore. Projects connecting
Kandla port with NH 8A totaling 56 km and that connecting Mormugao
port with NH 17B totaling 18 km are currently under progress.
Port connectivity projects will be executed through NHAI-owned
special purpose vehicles (SPV's), wherein the port trusts will
contribute their equity & debt.
Vizag's
Ore Handling Complex helps save Rs 72 crore. The Vizag port
has made a saving of Rs. 72 crore over the past three years through
improved performance of the 25-year old Ore Handling Complex (OHC).
The OHC facility was source of major problems until few years
ago, resulting in drainage of significant foreign exchange resources
in the form of demurrages. Until 1998, several operational constraints
had prevented the port from achieving optimum loading rate leading
to delays and consequent payment of huge demurrages. The incidence
of demurrage at Vizag port, which was to the order of Rs 37.41/tonne
in 1997-98 has now fallen drastically to Rs 2.49 in the current
fiscal. Before 1997-98, OHC's loading rate ranged between 25,000-40,000
tonnes per day that is now improved to 60,000-70,000 tonnes with
50% of vessels registering loading rates over 50000 tonnes. Average
waiting time of iron ore vessels, which was 2.05 days in 1997-98
was increased to 10 hours last fiscal and 5.5 hours current fiscal.
Average stay of iron ore vessels at the port also registered a
decrease from 8.67 days to 3.38 days.
Extension
of reservation to Bengal Tiger Lines at Chennai Port The Ministry
of Shipping has reportedly favoured extension of term for one-third
reservation to Bengal Tiger Lines at Chennai Port. The Chennai
Port authority earlier terminated the reservation as the terminal
was to be handled over to P&O Ports, which was awarded the BOT
contract for developing the container terminal. The transfer of
the terminal to P&O having been delayed following a court case,
the Shipping Ministry is now believed to have taken the view that
extension of term for Bengal Tiger Lines would be the best means
to solve the congestion problems at the port.
Tenders
Mumbai Port Trust: Global Tender for Licensing of Dry Docks, along
with two Wet Berths each for a period of 20 years on Operate &
Manage Basis. Applications from interested parties may be
obtained from the Office of the Chief Mechanical Engineer, Mumbai
Port Trust at Nirman Bhavan, 5th floor, Clarke Bunder, Mazgaon,
Mumbai-400 010 from 27.11.2001 to 21.12.2001. The document may
be received before 21.12.2001 but dispatched by courier service
on payment of Demand Draft Rs 3000/- for dispatch with India &
US $75 for dispatch outside India. The tentative schedule for
submission of Applications is as follows: Sale of RFQ document:
27.11.2001 - 21.12.2001. Last date for receiving queries before
Pre-qualification meeting: 07.01.2002 at CME's office. Site Visit
and pre-qualification meeting: 22.01. 2002 at 1100 hrs at Conference
Hall, 7th floor, Vijay Deep, Ballard Estate, Mumbai 400010.
The Mechanical Engineering Department of Tuticorin Port Trust
has invited Tender No: E(M)/AE/ELEC.11/F.5(2)/2001, dated: 22/11/2001
from Indian suppliers for the "Design Manufacture And Supply of
22 KV Switchgear with Vacuum Circuit Breaker" (Quantity 15 sets).The
estimated value of the supplies is Rs. 1,15,75000/- and the earnest
money to be deposited is Rs. 1 lakh only. Detailed tender specifications
can be obtained on payment of Rs 1500.00 drawn in favour of the
Financial Advisor & Chief Accounts Officer, Tuticorin Port Trust
from 3.12.2001 to 19.2.2001. The tenders with detailed technical,
price bid under two cover system will be received upto 21.12.2001
and cover No 1 will be opened on same day at 15.30 hrs.
Cargo Handling Division, Traffic Department, Chennai Port Trust
has invited sealed tenders from the reputed contractors for
work of cement and painting from block A16 to 23 at Tondiarpet
Housing Colony. Tender document can be had from Executive Engineer
upto 19-12-2001 on payment of Rs 106 each/-. EMD payable Rs 7942/-
should accompany the tender superscribing name of work as above.
Sealed tenders should reach on or before 19-12-2001 before 3.00
p.m. and opened at 3.30 p.m. on the same day
Dredging Corporation of India Ltd has invited tender dated
17-11-2001 for maintenance dredging of behind the naval jetties
at Cochin navy for year 2001-2002 by deploying a suitable inland
cutter suction dredger(s) it is to be noted that the quantity
to be dredged is 2,00,000 cm (approx).
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News on Shippings
Shipping
company's brace for a 20%-30% fall in profits Following the
global slowdown, especially after the September 11 terrorist attacks
on the US, the Indian shipping companies are anticipating bleak
year-end results. Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) after posting
record profits in '00-01 is now believed heading for a 25-30%
fall in net profit in the current financial year. GE Shipping,
Essar Shipping & Varun Shipping are also believed to be heading
for drop in profits, though no official figures were available.
Tuticorin-US
container service. Direct container service between Tuticorin
and the US has commenced with the first vessel sailing off Tuticorin
port on 17 October 2001. The vessel, MV Indamex-New Delhi, jointly
operated by the Shipping Corporation of India (SCI) and Contship
Container Line on weekly basis will halt at the Tuticorin Port
every Wednesday.
SCI
to expand fleet and improve services. Shipping Corporation
of India (SCI) is introducing a direct container service on fixed
day weekly sailing basis linking Indian ports with Korea and China.
With the LNG transportation expected to grow in the near future,
the SCI has placed orders for four Aramex tankers, one LR- II
tanker and three 50 tonne bollard pull tugs expected to be delivered
between 2001 to 2003. The SCI has also planned to acquire two
new Suezmax tankers to handle import of crude oil, which is also
expected to increase in the coming years. It has also placed orders
for LNG tankers of 13,8000 CBM capacity with Daewood Shipbuilding
and Marine Engineer (DSME), South Korea which are expected to
be delivered by December 2003 and 2004, in association with other
consortium members for Petronet LNG project.
Government
to sell 40% stake in Shipping Corporation of India
The divestment process for selling 40 % government stake is expected
to take off in 2001-02. The government currently holds 80% stake
in SCI, while the financial institutions hold remaining portion.
Presently, 74% foreign direct investment is permitted via the
automatic route in the shipping sector. The company has registered
a profit of Rs 401.9 crores in '00-01 against Rs 161.6 crores
in '99-00. Options like hiving off and offloading government stake
in favour of the public and employee stock package are among the
likely ways considered for bringing down government's equity in
the corporation.
Pandu-Kolkata
Waterway opened Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI)
has launched its state-of- the art cargo vessel with a load of
550 tonnes, belonging to Hindustan Lever. The Pandu-Kolkata Waterway
route taken up on a priority basis for exploiting the huge cargo
potential of the region.
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News
on Shipyards
Hooghly
Shipyard resumes ship repairing
The
Hooghly Dock & Port Engineers (HDPE's) has resumed voyage repairing
of the SCI's vessels at Kolkata/Haldia. Over the past few months,
dry docking of the other vessels, including Geological Survey
of India's research vessel 'Samudra Manthan' and two other dredgers
of Inland Waterways Authority of India, ID 1 & ID IV has also
been undertaken. HDPE has also requested the DCI to send ocean-going
dredgers for repairs, which could include Dredge XV. Kolkata port
authorities have also been approached to place firm orders for
undertaking repair of two of its vessels, a grab dredger and another
vessel, 'Shatrghna'. The HDPE management is also exploring the
possibility of undertaking repair of vessels of some other port
trusts.
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